9 Month Old GSD with Weak Hindlegs - Page 23

Max was 2 months old

Max when he was 2 months old

Max when he was 2 months old

Also can I feed Max Joint Active Tablets

This puppy is 8 months old. Look at his bone does he not look superb! Max is 23 kilos at 5 + months. I want Max with such bone

Dear Gautam,
    Having good bone is genetic you can not change what is not there. You can give a dog proper nutrition, moderate exercise, and provide as good an environment as you can, that is how your dogs can live to their potential. I am going to leave nutrition to other posters as they have done a fine job already but I wish to address the environment these dogs are being raised in. Gautam you have gone to great lengths in providing proper medical care to Mervin and I admire your honesty in your correspondence with us. We all wish the best for you and your dogs and we are here to give our knowledge that comes from many years of experience with this breed that we love. I intend not to shame you and wish that others will not pile on but I am still concerned when I see pictures of your dogs chained to short chains and being directly on concrete. I don't see how you are going to have the beautiful strong dogs you want when they have an environment where they can not live to their genetic potential. Concrete is a good surface to keep clean but is unforgiving, try crawling on your hands and knees to feel what they have to live with. Concrete will also suck warmth out of their bodies and will quickly ruin joints. There are many kennels that have concrete as a surface but they will also have rubber horse stall mats and beds for the dogs. Please take this as it was intended I wish also that you would have beautiful strong dogs. And I wish that only helpful posts and not personal attacks are made.
                  Sincerely, Hugh 

Hi Hugh, Thanks for the advice. I chain them when I clean the kennel. I cant let them run around as I have small kids and guests keep coming and going. They are taken for walks in the morning on mother earth road. Evening time I take them to open ground with lots of grass to play freely and to fetch ball. Its not possible in the afternoon for a walk as it is hot. Regards Gautam

That's great Gautam not knowing how they are kept I thought I might post in case it was over looked, there is nothing wrong with temporarily tying them out. It was good to see them playful. Best wishes and I will sit back and read what the others think of the supplements.

One story I would like to share with you Gautam concerns choke chains. When I had my first two dogs many, many years ago choke chains were very popular in the UK, and both my dogs wore them.  We were visiting my aunt with the two dogs one day and they were playing as the usually do, wrestling on the floor and generally having fun, when I suddenly realised that something was terribly wrong. One of the dogs was struggling for breath. 

What had happened was this - her choke chain had become looped over the other dog's lower jaw, then she, or he, or indeed both - had rolled around and twisted and twisted until it became tight over his bottom jaw and on her neck to the point she was choking.  It was impossible to see which way to try and turn her because of her fur and the way it was cutting deeply into her neck, plus the fact that she was panicking. He was screaming in agony and we didn't know how we were going to save her. Bolt cutters sprang to mind, as we couldn't get the chain over his canines, but that was going to take too long and I doubt his aunt had any anyway, Simply breaking his teeth was becoming an option.  My husband just flipped him, the bigger dog over a few times hoping it was the right way, and luckily it was, it loosened just enough to prise the chain over his teeth with pliers which my aunt had rushed off to get while the commotion was going on. How we didn't break off his canine teeth anyway, I don't know.

We stopped off at the pet shop on the way home and bought two flat leather collars. None of my dogs have ever worn anything else since. I had never recognised the obvious danger with choke chains, but since have always shuddered when I see any dog wearing one, especially when they are unattended, but even when they are I nearly lost my girl.  Just thought I would share that with you.

Choke chains are good for training only when going for walks.  My girl has a leather collar because I too had an incident with a choke chain and nearly lost my dog.

By the way, your dog is beautiful, big bones or not.

Sometimes we should be happy with what God has given us and quit wishing for something better all the time.  Max looks perfect to me.

There is no reason that you can't give Max the joint supplements, they are Glucosamine & Chondroitin? Any particular reason you want to, and only him and not Mervin?

What has been said is right, you cannot create 'bone' that isn't there. Both your dogs are beautiful, and will blossom given good nutrition, love and the correct environment.  In your climate it is harder for animals to maintain body condition so you may need to feed more than than even we have said here. It will be trial and error, but err on the side of more to begin with, to give those puppy bodies the best opportunity to develop to their utmost potential. The chance to do so won't come again.

BTW if you have to keep them in a concreted area for most of the time can you put down rubber flooring such as markobytes mentioned, or build a raised platform with soft bedding to allow them to get off the concrete when resting. It is a very unforgiving substance. Maybe as an alternative there is a room in the house that they could be confined to when visitors are around for some of the time, just for a break. 

Mine enjoy spending time with visitors and little kids, but I know it is not everyone's way.